By Jacinta Njoku
Corps members serving in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have identified high
transportation costs, accommodation difficulties and rising feeding expenses as
major challenges affecting their service year.
The corps members made the observations on Monday in Abuja, while reflecting
on their experiences under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
Miss Grace David said the high cost of transportation in Abuja consumed a
significant portion of her monthly allowance.
“The allowances paid by the government and my place of primary assignment are
not enough to cover transportation, feeding and accommodation expenses,” she
said.
Similarly, Miss Dorathy Samuel said she spent about N3,000 daily commuting
between her residence and place of assignment.
“Transportation has really affected my service year because I spend almost all my
money on transport and have little or nothing left at the end of the month,” she
said.
Samuel appealed to the government to increase corps members’ allowances to
enable them cope with the rising cost of living.
Miss Esther Ekwe also acknowledged that many corps’ members were facing
accommodation and transportation challenges during their service year.
In-spite of the difficulties, the corps members described the NYSC scheme as a
valuable platform for cultural integration, professional growth and personal
development.
Ekwe said the scheme had enabled her to interact with people from different parts
of the country and learn about their cultures and ways of life.
“Meeting new people and learning their ways of life has exposed me to the culture
of other Nigerians,” she said, adding that serving in Abuja had positively impacted
her photography career through exposure to experienced professionals.
“In spite of coping with accommodation and transportation challenges, being in the
midst of highly experienced people in the photography profession is a boost to my
job. I have learnt more in both video and photo editing,” Ekwe said.
David on her part said serving in the FCT had given her the opportunity to interact
with people from diverse backgrounds, particularly at her place of primary
assignment.
She said the scheme has helped to improve her teaching skills, overcome stage
fright and communicate more effectively with children.
On her part, Samuel said she was pleased to be posted to Abuja because of the
opportunities available in the territory.
She commended the city’s road network and the opportunity to meet and interact
with different categories of people.
According to her, the service year has improved her organisational and
communication skills. “It has helped me to understand office organization and how
to relate with people professionally,” she said.
